Tripping

Eye Tripping

She walked around in black boot's with a six inch platform sole, purple
trousers piped widely at the bottom to give a full flare, with this a
baggy tasselled cardigan, multicoloured in a patchwork knitted design.
She walked fluently without a trip or a stumble. Well, her hair, what
can I say except, beautiful, a glossy shine, dark, long and holding a
subtle wave. I watched her. A man walked past pierced heavily through
his ears, nose and eyebrow, not completely shaven as he wore a style of
impeccably designed stubble on his face. His hair on the other hand was
bright red in colour, spiked and looked so stiff it would possibly snap
if you tried to bend the spikes. He wore army style trousers and chains
hung from about his hip line weaving in and out of his pockets. I
briefly caught his eye, he grinned, not a smile as such, more just to
say, 'You noticed me then." Did I ever!
I watched still further the girl in the boots, she didn't notice that
I was watching, looking and studying her. Pretty girl, pale but healthy
looking skin with a rosy glow just at her cheeks. Mind you, it was late
January, 24th to be precise.
Her eyes were dressed in shades of purple matching her trousers, black
eye liner laced her eyes just above her lashes too. As she browsed at
goods on the stalls at the market, 'How much for this," she'd
say.
My attention then went elsewhere. Stood in the doorway of a record shop
was a man and a woman nattering, hair dreadlocked to the middle of
their backs. Hmmm! lovely if ya like that sort of thing, I thought.
Went into a futuristic style bar, didn't notice the name just the
people. Wonderful but strange at the same time. Some just sitting
having a drink and a couple of lads making strange moves on the dance
floor to the music that was playing.
Took a photo of one girl, Sci Fi looking in dress and make-up, neatly
done and shaven head.
My eyes were spoilt for choice.
Had a meal on the market, Thai green curry and yellow rice, sat on a
bench seat at a wooden table. Every time I opened my mouth for a
fork-full my eyes caught on passers by.
You could take a complete 360 degree turn and have something or someone
totally different to look at. Meal was nice, cheap too. Binned my
rubbish and then walked on.
Pretty much everywhere you turned to go you was shoulder to shoulder
contact with someone quite unique. No set rules, nor set styles and no
obvious fashion trend to follow, all out of the ordinary mostly.
Went into a pub adjacent to the River to have a drink, ordered a J. D
and coke and it went down a treat. Made it last a while, at three quid
a shot you've got to. There was a man sat at a table with a girl that I
had walked past, 'Well, hello," He said, looking up and down at me, I
looked at him and at the girl and laughed, she made a hand gesture to
her head implying he was a bit cuckoo, I smiled again and walked
on.
Left the pub early evening, was getting quite dark. Back through the
market I passed character after character. Weirdo, Chic, Scruffy,
Gothic, the odd obvious, 'Hi i'm gay," and the occasional stuck up few
looking down their noses at you as though to say they were from better
stock than the rest of us.
Voices too, so many going at anyone time, mixtures of variation in
dialect, languages and tones. Not once through the afternoon or evening
did anywhere take on a slower pace, was constant busy busy, chit chat
busy, more chit chat. Movements never ceasing to stop.
I am definitely coming back, eyes tripping constantly on my visions of
people watching.
Was my first but not my last trip to Camden Market.